Illustration of shroud
- 1 shroud 3a
1
: burial garment : winding-sheet, cerement
2
: something that covers, screens, or guards: such as
a
: one of two flanges that give peripheral support to turbine or fan bedding
b
: a guard (as of ceramic or fiberglass) that protects a spacecraft from the heat of launching
3
a
: one of the ropes leading usually in pairs from a ship's mastheads to give lateral support to the masts
b
: one of the cords that suspend the harness of a parachute from the canopy
4
obsolete
: shelter, protection
shrouded; shrouding; shrouds
1
a
: to cut off from view : obscure
trees shrouded by fog
this point is shrouded in uncertainty—
Henry James
Henry James
b
: to veil under another appearance (as by obscuring or disguising)
shrouded the decision in a series of formalities
2
: to dress for burial
3
a
archaic
: to cover for protection
b
obsolete
: conceal
archaic
: to seek shelter
Examples of shroud in a Sentence
Noun
the truth of the affair will always be hidden under a shroud of secrecy
Verb
The mountains were shrouded in fog.
Their work is shrouded in secrecy.
Recent Examples on the Web
ABC News, 1 May 2026
Green burial – defined as the burial of human remains without embalming, contained only in a biodegradable shroud or casket – is legal in all 50 states and Washington, but is only offered by a small share of cemeteries.
—Tanya D. Marsh, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Neil Flanagan, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
The cult’s deity, a skeleton shrouded in a hooded robe, resembles a morbid inversion of the Virgin Mary, often blessed with tequila and marijuana smoke.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shroud
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Graves are dug by hand and bodies are only buried in caskets or shrouds made of biodegradable materials like bamboo or cotton.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Green burial – defined as the burial of human remains without embalming, contained only in a biodegradable shroud or casket – is legal in all 50 states and Washington, but is only offered by a small share of cemeteries.
—Tanya D. Marsh, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
However, worksites were shrouded and officials stayed quiet about their nature.
—Neil Flanagan, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
The cult’s deity, a skeleton shrouded in a hooded robe, resembles a morbid inversion of the Virgin Mary, often blessed with tequila and marijuana smoke.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shroud
Cite this Entry
“Shroud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shroud. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shroud
1 of 2 noun1
: the cloth placed over or around a dead body
2
: something that covers or shelters like a shroud
a shroud of secrecy
3
: one of the ropes that go from the masthead of a ship to the sides to provide support to the mast
shroud
2 of 2 verb
: to cover with or as if with a shroud
shrouded in fog
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
